Employees in Genesee County juvenile court department are downsizing -- their waistlines

Stuart Bauer | The Flint JournalDuwana Ragland climbs from the basement to the roof level of the Genesee County Circuit Court building on Monday. She climbs the 286 steps twice in a row 3 times a day and also works out during her lunch break, she said.

FLINT, Michigan -- The juvenile records bureau at the Genesee County courthouse is downsizing.

No, we're not talking layoffs. Several of the clerks are actually getting smaller in size.

About two months ago, 13 employees in the court's juvenile department began a weight loss competition akin to NBC's "The Biggest Loser."

They don't have private trainers or chefs to cook healthy meals, but they are eating healthy and spending lunch hours and breaks working out.

"I know since I started here, I've gained about 15 pounds sitting on my butt," said Amber Gillian, a senior deputy registrar. "I decided to get out and start doing something."

Gillian already has lost a dress size and with the weather warming up hopes to get outside more to exercise.

Stuart Bauer | The Flint JournalDuwana Ragland rests after climbing her second set of 286 steps from the basement to the attic level of the Genesee County Circuit Court building on Monday.

Besides the motivation of being healthy, there's an added incentive -- each participant paid $50 to join the contest and the person with the most weight loss gets $650.

The contest ends May 26, where the clerks will have their final weigh-in.

Duwana Ragland, also a senior deputy registrar, said a lot of the employees watch "The Biggest Loser" and have talked in the past about doing something similar.

She also has dropped a dress size by eating healthy, drinking a lot of water and tackling the stairs at the courthouse. Nearly every day, Ragland walks up and down the eight flights -- from the basement to the attic twice in a row, three times a day. Sometimes for a change of scenery, she'll head over to the Flint Police Department and walk the halls there.

She's also changed her lifestyle at home with the diet.

"I don't send my kids upstairs to get something for me anymore," she said with a laugh.